A dilemma in rape crisis and a contribution from philosophy

Abstract

The notion that rape is an act of violence rather than sex is a central tenet in rape crisis support and education. A therapeutic benefit of this conceptualisation of rape is that it counters shame and guilt by affirming that the victim was not a complicit partner in an act of sex. However, this conceptualisation has recently been criticised for not capturing what makes rape an especially serious kind of wrong. This raises an apparent dilemma for rape crisis support. Recent work in analytic moral philosophy on the nature of rape offers a way to resolve this dilemma. It is argued that rape is not sex, but is nonetheless sexual. This distinction allows for a charitable reformulation of the central tenet in rape crisis support, which can facilitate the dual therapeutic aims of countering the sense of shame and of recognising the especially serious kind of the harm suffered by the victim.

Let the facts speak, not the pictures: an experimental survey on rape narratives

“…This is in congruence with past research by Smith and Frieze (2003), which showed gender differences for rape victim empathy, lower for men and perceived victim responsibility, higher for men. It also connects to one of the first theories advancing the implications of victim blaming by Winkel et al (1991) and of wrong conceptualisations of rape itself (Maung, 2021).…”

“…It also connects to one of the first theories advancing the implications of victim blaming by Winkel et al . (1991) and of wrong conceptualisations of rape itself (Maung, 2021).…”

Legal Rape in The Bahamas

“…However, society appreciates the negative consequences that rape has on victims and so there is a need to support them and protect females from forced sexual intercourse. Understanding that rape is a forced sexual act is important in helping survivors of this abuse (Maung, 2021). When women are reluctant to report their abuse to the police, the role of doctors to assist victims becomes important.…”

Diasporean 1 Southern African Perspectives

“…Rape is among the most disturbing experiences that inflict guilt and shame among migrant women. The act of rape is not about the perpetrator's sexual gratification but emotional and mental violence tied to power and domination by hegemonic gendered systems in which the victims lose power over their sexuality, body, and, importantly, their self-esteem (Maung 2021;Metz, Myers & Wallace 2021). Somali women have been victims of rape within the transnational space.…”